Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1896 [PAGE 185]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

188

U N I V E R S I T Y OF

ILLINOIS.

APPROPRIATIONS NEEDED.

Touching the necessity of appropriations for the different University departments, I have this to say: At the June meeting of the Board there was appropriated, from the special appropriation of $30,000 for extending the engineering equipment, the sum of $15,000 for the purpose of building a new shop. I am not advised as to whether this sum will complete the building. The report of the Committee on Buildings and grounds will doubtless show this. At the same time there was appropriated from the same special appropriation the sum of $10,000 to be expended this year in extending the engineering equipment. The chiefs of the engineering departments allotted this sum between themselves. They then prepared a schedule of articles the purchase of which they recommended. This schedule was examined by the chairman of the Committee on Buildings and Grounds and myself, and was partially approved and partially disapproved. So far as the articles were approved they have generally been purchased. The fact that so many were disapproved has left a considerable balance to the credit of this fund. The different departments now file applications for additional purchases. I am glad to be able to say that I think they are more conservatively made than heretofore. I presume that the balances remaining unexpended, to which I have referred, will be reappropriated, if necessary, for the same purposes to which they were originally appropriated. I submit a communication from Professor Ricker earnestly recommending the purchase of reference books for the College of Engineering, at a cost of $212.50. There is a balance of $250 which was set aside for this purpose. This purchase was not approved last summer, pending the settlement of general library policy in the University. The larger number of books in the list are already in the library, but they are generally mathematical works and are constantly referred to by others than engineers, so they cannot properly be removed from the library. It is doubtless true, also that they are of special importance to engineers, being needed for almost daily reference. All of the engineering chiefs are intensely interested in this matter and I think their opinions touching it are entitled to great respect. I am therefore led to recommend that the appropriation be made, as requested. Probably no action is necessary. The department of architecture requests leave to expend $397 for apparatus. Under the arrangement to which I have alluded there is a balance of $873 to their credit, so no action is necessary. The department of theoretical and applied mechanics requests an appropriation of $1,500. There is a balance of $1,600 to the credit of this department, so no special action is necessary. The department of physics and electrical engineering combined requests appropriations amounting to $1,135. There is a balance to the credit of this department of $1,009.45. I recommend the appropriation of $125 more, if necessary, and that the same be paid from the special appropriation for engineering equipment. The department of mechanical engineering requests appropriations aggreating $1,652.70. There is a balance to the credit of this department of $656. he purpose for which this appropriation is asked covers the entire reorganization of the new shop, extending to the purchase of new machinery, the transmission of power from the old shop to the new, the installation or old machinery, the construction of lockers, the purchase of tools, of office and lecture room furniture, etc. I see no alternative to this, and recommend the appropriation of $1,000 for the purpose. I had hoped that we might be able to hold the remaining $5,000 of the special appropriation of $30,000 intact for the next year, but if we are obliged to make this extra appropriation, as I think we are, it seems to me that it should be charged against that fund. There is a balance of $750 to the credit of the special appropriation for materials for shop practice for the current year. I recommend that the sum of $500 thereof be appropriated for the coming quarter.

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